The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1887-04-27
A NEW ORDER.
The Sisterhood OF the Bon Secours
of America.
A Band of Trained and Faithful Nurses
Lately Established In New York
An Interview with Ono
of Their Number.

of Their Number.
Next to the Church of the Dominican
Fathers on the corner of Lexington
avenue and Sixty-sixth street stands a
pleasant, old-fashioned house formerly
used by the parish clergy as resi-
dence. 1t is now occupied by the
Roman Catholic Sisters of Bon Secours
as their home. The sisterhood in this
country is under the charge of Sister
Madeleine de Pazzi, who is the Mother
Superior of the Order in America.
$50 you want some facts about our
Sisterhood?" she said to Graphic
writer, one afternoon this week in the
neatly furnished parlor of the Home.
"They will not be very hard to furnish.
Although we are not very old IN
America we have been long established
in Europe. Our community was
founded in 1910 by Father Paul
Sebastien Millet, in Arcis Sur Aube,
France, and it differs very largely from
all other religious orders, both in
regard to our work and the rules
under which we live. There are Sis
tiers, you know, who attend patients in
hospitals, some who take care of
orphans and foundlings, others who
devote themselves to educating child
rem, and still others who give them
selves up to the care of the aged poor
of both sexes and the reclamation of
fallen women. Our work is very differ
ent. We simply nurse the sick at their
homes. We take care of the sick of
both sexes, of all nationalities and of
every possible rank and station in life,
from the richest to the poorest. We
are trained nurses. We have now
about 1,50O sisters and 1870 houses in
England, Belgium, Italy, Spain,
Algiers, France and America. The
Mother House is in Troyes, France.
The order is under the direction of a
Mother Superior General, who makes
her home in that city, and from whom
all our rules and orders come. Her
authority is absolute, the Pope alone
having jurisdiction over her. She
sends us wherever she pleases. l
might be recalled by telegram to
France at any moment should she so
desire. Each house is in charge of a
sister who is responsible to the Mother
Superior General.
''The order has found an abundance
of work to do ever since its founding,
and many more Sisters could be EN-
ployed than we have. We nurse the
sick in their homes, and 60 with them
in their travels if it is desired. A Sis
ter, for instance, nurses a patient in
Rome, and when he is convalescing
and wants to return to his home, say,
in Russia, the Sister accompanies him
thither and remains with him until he
has fully recovered. Some of our Sis
tcrs follow their patients all over the
continent, never relinquishing their
care until their services are no longer
required. Even in this country I have
sent Sisters to Boston, Buffalo, Albany
and other cities with patients, and
have in some instances sent Sisters to
those cities in response to requests
from families living there.
"As to our pay. We never ask for
any money from those we nurse. They
may give little or much, or even moth
ing, just as they feel inclined. Still,
enough is given to sustain the Order
and make it self-supporting. We nurse
the poor as readily as we do the rich.
one of our aims is to pre-
vent poor mothers from being
sent to hospitals, where that
may be done with safety to the public
health. When a poor woman is taken
away from her home to hospital, her
children are certain to suffer, her hus-
band has no one to prepare his meals
Tor him and often seeks his recreation
In public houses. Many times a Sister
not only attends the sick woman, but
looks after her children as well and
cooks the fathers meals. We are al
lowed no servants in our house, as it's
required that we should be proficient
In all departments of homework for
just such cases as this. So the work is
not so much of hardship as might be
imagined. When Sister nurses in a
poor family she generally remains all
night with her patent, going home only
for six hours rest and one substantial
meal, without which she would be un-
able to pursue her work.
mo. we never talk religion with our
patients unless it is in answer to ques-
tons. and then only with adults. We
never talk of such matters to children.
We nurse people of all religious creeds
and those who have no religion what
ever. Some of our patients talk of |
nothing but religion, and others never
mention that subject at ALL"
How did you happen to come to
America p' asked the writer.